God & the Universe: The Fitness of Light

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…. Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light…. Then God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night. They will serve as signs for festivals and for days and years.They will be lights in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth.’ And it was so. God made the two great lights—the greater light to have dominion over the day and the lesser light to have dominion over the night—as well as the stars. God placed them in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth, to dominate the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:1,3,14-18 CSB)

The electromagnetic radiation of the sun is restricted to a tiny region of the total electromagnetic spectrum−this is in the tiny band of utility to life−but virtually none in those regions of the spectrum which are harmful to life. Both useful types, visible and infrared back to back, adjacent in spectrum. This very same infinitely minute region is precisely what is required for life.

The atmospheric gases oxygen, nitrogen carbon dioxide and water vapor transmit 80% of the sun’s radiation in the visible and near infrared and allow it to reach the earth’s surface. These atmospheric gases are opaque to all regions of the spectrum except this tiny region.

According to author Michael Denton, “we should indeed be awed and staggered by this series of coincidences: that the electromagnetic radiation of the sun should be restricted to a tiny region of the total electromagnetic spectrum, equivalent to one specific playing card in a deck of 1025 cards stretching across the universe; that the very same infinitely minute region should be precisely that required for life; that the atmospheric gases should be opaque to all regions of the spectrum except this same tiny region, etc. It is as if a card player had drawn precisely the same card on four occasions from a deck of 1025.”

Even without these coincidences, the sun’s radiation reaching earth’s surface has remained virtually constant throughout the past four billion years. If it had not, life could not have survived.

“Can you fasten the chains of the Pleiades
can you loosen Orion’s belt?
Can you bring out the constellations in their seasons
or lead out the Bear with its cubs?
Do you know the laws of the heavens?
Can you set up God’s dominion over the earth?” (Job 38:31-33 NIV)

“For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.'” (1 Corinthians 1:19 NIV)

As you can see, the probability of any one of these events occurring randomly, or by chance, so remote as to make it virtually impossible. But, the probably of combining all of these forces together accidently to produce anything at all is way beyond any realm of even the remotest possibility.

Atheists like to try imagine the probability that God exists, and they string together various factors, some which are speculative at best, that make it to appear that the probability that God exists is virtually zero. Yet, when scientific proofs, not speculations nor assumptions, but proven facts are used to show that the probability of there being a Creator at 100%, atheists cry foul! Believers in a Creator are armed with a vast array of scientific facts that they can, and do, use to support the Biblical truth of Creation. You can tell by atheists’ dodging these facts that they are on the run. As the saying goes, they like to dish it out, but they can’t take it.

“Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” (1 Corinthians 1:20 NIV)

3 thoughts on “God & the Universe: The Fitness of Light”

RT1: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.. Then God said, `Let there be light,’ and there was light.. Then God said, `Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night. They will serve as signs for festivals and for days and years. They will be lights in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth.’ And it was so. God made the two great lights-the greater light to have dominion over the day and the lesser light to have dominion over the night-as well as the stars. God placed them in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth, to dominate the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:1,3,14-18 CSB)

GW1: Because God does not exist, then every verse of the Bible, including the first, which refers to God is false. I notice that you are cherry picking your Bible versions again. This is inappropriate.

RT1: The electromagnetic radiation of the sun is restricted to a tiny region of the total electromagnetic spectrum-this is in the tiny band of utility to life-but virtually none in those regions of the spectrum which are harmful to life. Both useful types, visible and infrared back to back, adjacent in spectrum. This very same infinitely minute region is precisely what is required for life.

GW1: This is misleading. Radiation is harmful to life depending on how close life is to the source of the radiation and the presence of filters.

RT1: The atmospheric gases oxygen, nitrogen carbon dioxide and water vapor transmit 80% of the sun’s radiation in the visible and near infrared and allow it to reach the earth’s surface. These atmospheric gases are opaque to all regions of the spectrum except this tiny region.

GW1: So what? Life began where conditions were right.

RT1: According to author Michael Denton, “we should indeed be awed and staggered by this series of coincidences: that the electromagnetic radiation of the sun should be restricted to a tiny region of the total electromagnetic spectrum, equivalent to one specific playing card in a deck of 1025 cards stretching across the universe; that the very same infinitely minute region should be precisely that required for life; that the atmospheric gases should be opaque to all regions of the spectrum except this same tiny region, etc. It is as if a card player had drawn precisely the same card on four occasions from a deck of 1025.”

GW1: No, it is more like the cards were already distributed by a machine and one player picked up a good hand.

RT1: Even without these coincidences, the sun’s radiation reaching earth’s surface has remained virtually constant throughout the past four billion years. If it had not, life could not have survived.

GW1: This is just false. The radiation reaching the Earth’s surface has not been “virtually constant” during that long period. It has varied significantly, mostly depending on the gases changing in the atmosphere.

RT1: “Can you fasten the chains of the Pleiades
can you loosen Orion’s belt?
Can you bring out the constellations in their seasons
or lead out the Bear with its cubs?
Do you know the laws of the heavens?
Can you set up God’s dominion over the earth?” (Job 38:31-33 NIV)

GW: God cannot do these things since he does not exist. Human persons can’t do them either.

RT1: “For it is written: `I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.'” (1 Corinthians 1:19 NIV)

GW1: The “I” refers to God, and God does not exist, and so he neither creates nor destroys anything. See, you still have to prove that God exists before the Bible can be useful to us.

RT1: As you can see, the probability of any one of these events occurring randomly, or by chance, so remote as to make it virtually impossible. But, the probably of combining all of these forces together accidently to produce anything at all is way beyond any realm of even the remotest possibility.

GW1: Life is not produced by chance alone. It is also the result of the inherent and eternal orderliness in nature. Evolution is partly chance and partly orderly.

RT1: Atheists like to try imagine the probability that God exists, and they string together various factors, some which are speculative at best, that make it to appear that the probability that God exists is virtually zero.

GW1: Yes, it is virtually zero.

RT1: Yet, when scientific proofs, not speculations nor assumptions, but proven facts are used to show that the probability of there being a Creator at 100%, atheists cry foul! Believers in a Creator are armed with a vast array of scientific facts that they can, and do, use to support the Biblical truth of Creation. You can tell by atheists’ dodging these facts that they are on the run. As the saying goes, they like to dish it out, but they can’t take it.

GW1: All the scientific facts you have presented are objective equivocal facts. None is unequivocal. But we do know how you could get plentiful objective unequivocal evidence of God’s existence, don’t we? Yes, pray to him and ask him to have a meeting with us. If he exists, he will show up an demonstrate a few miracles. Three would suffice.

RT1: “Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” (1 Corinthians 1:20 NIV)

GW1: I am just one wise person; there are many. There are many teachers of the law, both kinds. The best contemporaneous philosophers are Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, Stephen Law, Dan Barker, Michael Shermer, Peter Singer, Masimo Pigliucci, and others. Because God does not exist, he can’t make anything foolish. Hypothetical persons cannot perform real acts.

When you admit that “life began when conditions were right”, and “it’s more the cards were distributed by a machine”, you are inadvertently admitting an outside influence, i.e., God’s hand in these matters. You are also admitting, without realizing it, by your last comment, that you and these other atheistic philosophers are some of the ‘wordily wise people that God has made foolish’ (2 Cor 1:20).